Improvement in fire-arms



I J. PEGK.

Revolver.

No. 10,930. Patented May '16, 1854-.

- N.PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON, D C.

2 UNITED STATES PATENT Fierce.

JEREMIAH PECK, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO J. PECK AND CHAS.F. GRILLY.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 10,930, dated May 16,1854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I,JEREMIAH PECK, of the city and county of New Haven, inthe State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRevolving-Breech Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction, character,and operation of the same, reference being bad to theaecompanyingdrawin'gs, which make a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of a pistol when ready to revolve thecylinder and discharge it, showing the back end of the lever whichserves to revolve the cylinder and also serves as a protection againstaccidental discharge. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a longitudinalsection of the same, showing the whole of the apparatus which serves torevolve the cylinder and the spring-shield which covers and protects thecaps from accidental ignition. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front end ofthe cylinder, showing the form of the recess in which the lever movesand acts to revolve the cylinder.

My improvement consists in revolving the chambered cylinder by means ofa jointed .le- Ver acting in recesses in the front end of the cylinderand worked by a thumb-piece on the back or rear end of the lever bypressing it down with the thumb immediately before pulling the trigger;and in so constructing the back or rear end of the lever that it willform a complete protectionagainst accidental discharge; and in themanner of constructing and locating the spring-shield to protect thecaps which have not yet come up to the place to be acted on by thehammer from being accidentally ignited.

I make the barrel A, revolving cylinder B, hammer C, rod or mandrel D,the working parts of the lock, the trigger, 820., all in the usual ways,as shown in Figs. 2 and 1. In the front end of the cylinder B, I form apolygonal recess, as shown' in Fig. 3, with as many angles or points a bc d c as there are chambers in the cylinder, and so arrange them thatwhen the cylinder is revolved from one point to another, as from a to b,the chambers will be brought alternately in a line with the barrel A, asseen at f, Fig. 2. To revolve this cylinder I fit into the frame, underthe plate E, ajointed lever, g h i, Fig. 2, which works on a fulcrum-pinat h, so that when the end g of the lever is depressed to the positionshown in Fig. 2 the finger or end i, having acted in the recess, as ata, Fig.3,will be elevated so as to revolve the cylinder, as from a to b,Fig. 3, or so as to bring the next succeeding chamber in a line with thebarrel, as seen at f, Fig. 2, in which position the pressure of thelever will firmly lock the cylinder, where it must remain until thepistol is again cocked. When the hammer is drawn back to cook the pistolthe spring j, acting upon the lever g h i, will clevate the back end, g,of the lever to the position seen at g, Fig. 1, and the frontend,i, willdescend along the inclined plane, as from I) to a, Fig. 3, when thespring 70, Fig. 2, will force the front end outward to the extremepoint, as at a, Fig. 3, when the cylinder may again be revolved for thenext discharge by again depressing the back end, g, of the lever to theposition shown at g in Fig. 2.

The front end, i, of the jointed lever g hiis steadied inits positionand guided in its oper; ation by a guide or clasp, l, which is securedto the front end of the frame by the rod D, passing through it in such amanner that when the rod D is drawn back it is movable in the directionof the barrgl sufticiently to remove the upper end, i, of the lever outof the recess a b c d e, Fig.3, (where it is stopped by the pin m, Figs.1 and 2,) when it is desired to take out the cylinder, either to loadthe chambers or to put another cylinder in its place, which change mayreadily be made, so as to lose but little time in firing.

The lever g h i will be held in the position shown in Fig. 2, when thehammer C is resting on the cone or nipple, by means of the pin orprojection n, Figs. 1 and 2, resting on the inclined plane near g, sothat the cylinder cannot be revolved by any means whatever; and when thehammer is drawn back to the position of cocking, as shown in Fig. 1, thespring j will elevate the back end, 9, of the lever to the position seenin Fig. 1, when the pin or projection n will rest against the curve onthe back end of the lever, so that it will be impossible to dischargethe pistol without first pressing down the back end, 9, of the lever,thus affordin g a perfect protection against accidental discharge, eventhough the sear or the notch in the tumbler should entirely all whilethe pistol was cocked.

To protect the caps from accidental ignition I fit a spring-shield, F,Figs. 1 and 2, curved in such a manner as to entire'y cover the cap nextback of that on which the hammer is to strike. One edge of this shieldrests on a slight projection or bead on the cone, as-shown at 0, Figs. 1and 2, to preventinjuring or displacing the caps. This shield will alsoprevent the recoil of the cylinder while the finger or end i of thelever is descending along the inclined plane.

The cylinder is held in its place, ready to be revolved, by arod ormandrel, D, in the usual way. This mandrel is secured in the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 by a spring-catch (not seen) governed by thelever G, so that when the lever Gis in the position seen in Fig. 2 thecatch is released, so that the rod may be drawn out (until it is checkedby the knob or stopp) so as to release the cylinder, when by moving theguide or clasp lent to the pin or stop an the cylinder may be taken outforloading or charging. \Vhen the cylinder B is loaded it is put intoits place, (the hammer 0 having been drawn back,) the rod D is forced inand the lever G thrown against the frame, as seen in Fig. 1, where thespring-catch will hold it firmly, the guide Z placed in the positionseen in Fig. 2, (where it will be held by the rod 1),) so that thepointdot the lever will fall into the recess a b 0 d c, and the plate Escrewed on in its place. The whole will then be in the position andarranged as shown in Fig. 1, and ready to revolve the cylinder anddischarge the pistol.

To revolve the cylinder, place the thumb of the right hand on thethumb-piece r of the lever and press it down as far as it can gothat is,to the position seen in Fig. 2-by which operation the cylinder B will berevolved to the proper position for discharging, when the trigger may bepulled in the usual way and v the pistol discharged, (as the pin a willthen pass oy'er the inclined plane near 9, as seen in Fig. 2;) butshould the trigger be pulled too soonthat is, before the cylinder isfully revolved to its placethepin n will strike the curve of the levernear 9, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus prevent the hammerO fromapproaching the cap until theend of the lever is brought entirely down,so that the pin a will pass the inclined plane, as seen in Fig. 2, sothat, if necessary, the hammer may be sustained wholly (when drawn backto the position of being cocked) by the pin a resting on the curve ofthe lever, as seen in Fig. 1, and the pistol be discharged by simplypressing down the end of the lever with the thumb, without reference tothe tumbler, sear, or trigger, as neither is necessary.

The advantages of my improvement consist in revolving the cylinder by alever independent of the operation of the hammer or trigger, whichrenders the machinery much less complicated, and therefore less liableto get out of repair, and much more easily repaired when necessary, onaccount of its simplicity; and in the perfect protection againstaccidental discharge afiorded by the shape and positionot' the rear endof the lever combined with the pin in the hammer.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination of the independent lever 9 h'i with the cylinder B,when so arranged that the cylinder may be revolved and locked withoutreference to or the use of either the hammer or trigger, and the wholeis constructed and combined substantially as herein described and setforth.

2. The combination ofthe spring-shield F with the cones or nipples, whenso arranged as to cover and protect the caps without any risk ofinjuringthem or moving them out of place, and also serves to prevent the recoilof the cylinder, when constructed and combined substantially as hereindescribed.

JEREMIAH PEGK.

Witnessesr FREDERICK O. ORTON. R. FITZGERALD.

